The Ranch Run

Spoiled rotten is the only way to describe how I felt flying through the canyons of northern San Diego County in the shotgun seat of a roadster on a sunny Saturday in the middle of January.

Don Dillard was driving his recently finished Deuce ("Readers' Rods," Apr. '05) and I was providing ballast on the passenger side. We were in one of more than 100 traditional rods and customs that showed up that day for the Ranch Run, the annual endurance run organized by Jim and Carrie Benitez. C&G Early Ford Repair, Hot Rods & Custom Stuff, and KustomImaging.com help sponsor the event.

The day started out like it does every year, early in the morning in downtown Temecula, a little Western-style town about halfway between Los Angeles and San Diego. After 90 winding miles through valleys, hills, and canyons, and some of the sweetest scenery you'll ever see, the trip terminated at the Benitez's hilltop home outside of San Diego, where Jim and Carrie, little Samuel B, a big pot of chili, a cooler of refreshments, and the band had all been waiting for us to show up. After a few more hours of hanging around and having fun, it was time to go home and start reviewing our photos from a fun January Saturday.

You'll find a lot more photos from the 2005 Ranch Run on Don Dillard's site (donshotrodpage.net)